Book Review by Mel: Meridian, by Kirby Crow

Grant Baines runs a specialty-tour company with his sister, Andie. The tour part is ushering frat boys around the Gulf of Mexico in his charter yacht. The specialty is that he’s an ex-military psychologist who does favors for the government. When Grant is asked to spend a week evaluating traumatized FBI advisor Matty Sawyer, he agrees, thinking it will be just another babysitting assignment.

Grant is more relaxed in a bondage playroom than he is going on a date, so he’s amazed at how strongly he’s attracted to the damaged but brilliant man who arrives in his town. Grant’s job is to assess Matty’s stability to return to the FBI after Jaeger Koning— Matty’s former lover— is charged with multiple assassinations.

Knowing Matty’s past poses a danger to his family, Grant is determined to keep his distance, until Matty reveals a submissive side that Grant finds impossible to resist.

M/M Pairing
Gay Characters
Contemporary Romance
BDSM
FBI Agent

I’m a huuuge fan of Kirby Crow. I have read all her books and I loved every one of them. So when she asked for beta-readers on Twitter for her first contemporary M/M romance, I was all like, ‘Me! Meee, pick meee!’ I got very lucky and, well, it seems Kirby can write everything and I will love it.

Meridian is mainly a tender and also absolutely fucking hot romance between two wonderful guys, but also a suspenseful thriller on the side that made for some additional tension and played an important role in the plot development. I think both parts complement each other really well. The plot around Matty’s ex-lover and assassin Jaeger never overshadows the growing relationship and love between Matty and Grant but adds an interesting problem to the mix. Not only does it influence Matty’s emotional health but there’s also an assassin on the loose and lives in danger, and I found Jaeger to be the perfect villain.

But let’s move on to the most important part now, to Matty and Grant. I tell you, they are both so *sigh* amazing and lovable and together they just are perfect.

Yeah, very eloquent, Mel ;-P

No, seriously… Grant is this strong and tender person and I absolutely love how he takes care of Matty and is looking out for him. And while Matty is seriously shaken up because of his recent relationship with an assassin, he is not weak or a damsel in distress.

Matty and Grant have great chemistry and because of the psychologist/patient dynamic there is also lots of sexual tension, which is just so much fun to read.

So, oh my… The sex. Heh, I tell you, you have great things coming. There is quite a lot of scorching hot sex here. From a super hot masturbation scene to Matty and Grant exploring their D/s power dynamics in the bedroom, I loved this all and, frankly, can’t get enough of it. I prefer sex in my books to be emotionally rich and like to be stimulated not only on a physical level but also on a emotional romantic one, and Meridian has exactly this. There’s so much passion and laughter as well. Matty and Grant are good with each other and real. It is a joy to be with them.

Concerning the BDSM in the book, I really like how it’s breaking with some expectations we might have about it. Kirby sums this up nicely on Twitter (please start reading at the bottom):

I love how both Matty and Grant are fully flashed out characters with a lot of depth. They are not only loveable but have relatable struggles and develop in a way that is believable and very rewarding to witness.

Apart from Matty and Grant there is a larger cast of secondary characters who are also three-dimensional and play important roles in the book. There’s a friend and family and while Matty and Grant have a lot of time for themselves they don’t live in a love bubble but have relationships with other people, and I always love to see that in books.

The story is told both from Matty’s and Grant’s point of view and, like I loved in Kirby’s other books, she only reveals information little by little. Just enough to make you want to find out everything. Apart from the intriguing story-telling, I LOOOOOOVE that Matty and Grant react and behave like adults and actually TALK with each other and make SENSIBLE DECISIONS. Unnecessary angst is a pet peeve of mine and it makes me incredibly happy to read books by authors who don’t do that. You should also probably prepare for some continuously increasing suspense in the second half of the book. I could basically feel Jaeger breathing down my neck. *shudders*

Okay, so… There’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t read this book. I whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone. Great main and secondary characters, a beautiful romance, heart-melting and scorching hot sex, suspense… This book has all you need. Enjoy 🙂

In case you have missed it, have a look at the interview I did with Kirby on Sunday and enter the giveaway to win an eCopy of MERIDIAN.

Kirby Crow is an American writer born and raised in the Deep South. She worked as an entertainment editor and ghostwriter for several years before happily giving it up to bake brownies, read yaoi, play video games, and write her own novels. Whenever she isn’t slaying Orcs or flying a battleship for the glory of the Amarr Empire, she can be found in the kitchen, her garden, or at the keyboard, tapping away at her next book.

Kirby is a winner of the Epic Award (Best Horror) and has won the Rainbow Award multiple times for her novels in LGBT romance. She is the author of the bestselling “Scarlet and the White Wolf” series.

Kirby shares an old, lopsided house in the Blue Ridge with her husband and a cat.

Always a cat.

For more information and books you can check out her website or follow her on Twitter.